VIDEO: 100-Year-Old Man Finishes Toronto Marathon

Fauja Singh, 100, celebrates at the finish line after completing the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in Toronto on Sunday, Oct. 16, 2011.

Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon
/ AP

Originally published on October 17, 2011 2:21 pm

Talk about a really amazing race:

"Fauja Singh, 100, finished Toronto's waterfront marathon Sunday evening, securing his place in Guinness World Records as the oldest person — and the first centenarian — to ever accomplish a run of that distance," CBC News reports.

Singh, a British citizen born in India, crossed the line in just over 8 hours, 11 minutes — and, officially at least, wasn't the last finisher. Four people, who it appears were in a group accompanying Singh, were 1 to 10 seconds behind him according to the electronic chips they carried to record their times.

From Toronto, Dan Karpenchuk reports for NPR that:

"Singh, who speaks only Punjabi, said through his coach and interpreter that he was overjoyed and achieved a lifelong wish. He aims to raise money for local charities, including a children's foundation that provides basic needs. His coach said part of his secret is that eats a diet of mainly tea, toast and curry. His training is to run about 10 miles a day.

"He only took up running twenty years ago at the age of 80."

According to the CBC, Singh — known as the "Turbaned Tornado" — beat his goal of finishing in 9 hours.